One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => View from the Outer => Lounder's Draft Resources => Topic started by: one-eyed on March 20, 2011, 06:36:59 PM
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Early days I know to be talking about the next National draft but Stephen Coniglio from WA will be favourite to go No.1 (and to GWS). Played for Swan Districts in the senior WAFL Grand Final last year as a 16 year old and is racking up possessions early on this year in the WAFL.
Stephen Coniglio
(http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/03/07/1226017/249127-stephen-coniglio.jpg)
Coniglio gathered a dozen possessions across half-back and through the middle of the ground in the second term. He backed up with another half-dozen in the third, despite spending half of the quarter on the bench. And he finished the game running with another dozen in the last.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/swan-districts-youngster-stephen-coniglios-class-shines-through/story-e6frg243-1226016675536
Stephen Coniglio started to get his hands on the ball, the Swans youngster winning the contest in the midfield and setting up several scoring opportunities.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/east-perth-upsets-swan-districts-in-wafl-round-1/story-e6frg1wu-1226024919499
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Will the draft order be the same as last season with the first 3 picks to GWS ect??
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Cant say for sure but you would expect they would have the same deal as Gold Coast
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Yep the draft will be similar to last year. The only difference is with 18 teams your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... round picks get pushed back a touch more. It's definitely not the year to finish mid-ladder (9th).
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Will we use thr tambling pick or hold onto it for another draft?
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Will we use thr tambling pick or hold onto it for another draft?
We are keeping hold of it for another year. Brisbane are the only club that will use their compensation pick in this year's November draft.
http://oneeyed-richmond.com/forum/index.php?topic=12031.msg226065#msg226065
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Early days I know to be talking about the next National draft but Stephen Coniglio from WA will be favourite to go No.1 (and to GWS). Played for Swan Districts in the senior WAFL Grand Final last year as a 16 year old and is racking up possessions early on this year in the WAFL.
Stephen Coniglio
(http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/03/07/1226017/249127-stephen-coniglio.jpg)
Coniglio gathered a dozen possessions across half-back and through the middle of the ground in the second term. He backed up with another half-dozen in the third, despite spending half of the quarter on the bench. And he finished the game running with another dozen in the last.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/swan-districts-youngster-stephen-coniglios-class-shines-through/story-e6frg243-1226016675536
Stephen Coniglio started to get his hands on the ball, the Swans youngster winning the contest in the midfield and setting up several scoring opportunities.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/east-perth-upsets-swan-districts-in-wafl-round-1/story-e6frg1wu-1226024919499
Coniglio is good mates with our Reece Conca.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/116339/default.aspx
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There is a bloke playing for Bendigo in the VFL by the name of Justin Maddern who will make a very solid Key Forward at AFL level.
We should look at him on a rookie spot as a back up for Griffiths.
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Dom Tyson enhances top-10 draft hopes
By Jason Phelan
Tue 09 Aug, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/1_U18NSWVM11CG%20178.jpg)
VIC METRO and Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Dom Tyson enhanced his credentials as a likely top-10 pick at the NAB AFL Draft with a brilliant performance for his representative school team at the weekend.
Tyson gathered 33 possessions and booted two goals for the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria team against the Associated Public Schools' side in the annual match played at Haileybury College on Saturday.
Tyson's ability at the stoppages, where he managed seven clearances, was well complemented by his hard-running style that saw him finish with 17 handball receives.
Toby Greene, a teammate of Tyson's in the championship-winning Vic Metro side, was prolific for APS, which won by 47 points, with 31 disposals in a match that has become a good indicator of AFL potential.
"I think it's fantastic that these kids get the opportunity to play in these representative games and we often see them continue the good form they've shown at championships or TAC Cup level," AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said.
"There's always a sprinkling of AFL scouts there having a good look at these young players in a different environment and playing alongside different teammates.
"Some things don't change though, with the very best players announcing themselves as Tyson and Greene did."
Both players had already elevated their standing in the eyes of AFL recruiters in the final game of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships with 29 possessions each against Vic Country.
Tyson and Greene will be snapped up early in the draft and players from both of Saturday's teams will join them in the AFL.
Last year's APS-AGS game produced 13 players that were drafted onto AFL lists with that group including first-round selections Matthew Watson (Carlton), Mitchell Wallis (Western Bulldogs), Ben Jacobs (Port Adelaide) and Patrick Karnezis (Brisbane Lions).
The game was a significant step in the right direction for AGS midfielder Elliott Kavanagh, who has been touted as having top-10 potential. The PEGS onballer has been stricken with hamstring injuries for most of this year, but showed enough on Saturday to suggest he'll be a player to watch as the Western Jets push toward the TAC Cup finals.
A scout from GWS was spotted in the crowd and he would have been pleased with what he saw from Tomas Bugg, who the club has already signed as part of its 17-year-old allocation.
The quick-handed left footer was instrumental in APS' win with 25 possessions and two goals.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/120582/default.aspx
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Buntine is one of the kids that may be still around at our first pick (10-12)
Numbers game
By Jason Phelan
Wed 24 Aug, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20A-E/Buntine246a.jpg)
MATTHEW Buntine is blessed with a knack for numbers, but it's his footy smarts that will count at November's NAB AFL Draft.
The Dandenong Stingrays' defender is rated one of the best decision makers in the draft pool with his rare ability to read the play likely to see him picked inside the top 15.
Buntine will be happy wherever he gets drafted, but a TAC Cup finals campaign and finishing off year 12 at Beaconhills College come first.
"I enjoy the books and the numbers side of things. Numbers call to me a lot more than words do," Buntine says of a final year filled with as many maths subjects as he could choose.
"I just can't handle English sometimes. One answer is enough [in maths], but in English it seems like you can put whatever you want."
It's a philosophy that seems to translate into Buntine's football - he quickly recognises problems, sees the answer and executes it with minimal fuss.
"He's just one of those kids who can see the play unfolding in front of him and you can't teach that," Stingrays' region manager Mark Wheeler says.
"His ability to read the ball coming in and going out is just phenomenal.
"Some don't like the term, but he is the quarterback that can set you up. His delivery to an outside midfielder is excellent and he can hit up a target.
"If he sees a problem he'll roll off and go and fix it himself. He's been a great asset for us. I think he might catch a few people out [at AFL level]. People might say that he's lacking a step or two in his foot speed, but his courage in being able to play off his man makes up for that.
"We believe he's a top-10 draft pick. We've always said that, but everyone else is starting to believe us now."
The 188cm half-back flanker had a slow start to the year thanks to shin splints he admits he brought on himself by doing too much running on his own in preparation for this pivotal season.
It robbed him of a decent endurance base, but he was able to use the time off in the gym developing a physique that would allow him to withstand the rigours of AFL footy.
That only adds to Buntine's case for early selection at the draft, which includes co-captaining Vic Country at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, his captaincy of the Stingrays' and graduation from the AIS-AFL Academy.
Buntine also joined budding AFL stars Jack Ziebell and Jack Grimes when awarded the Academy's Ben Mitchell Medal, which was voted on by his Academy peers taking into account such personal qualities as courage, determination, passion, confidence and discipline.
Buntine was thrilled to be a part of the Academy program with a highlight coming when he and his teammates overcame Geelong's VFL team by a point in a curtain raiser at the MCG.
"To be in a team of 17 and 18-year-olds and to be able to mix it with a team containing some current AFL players was great," he says.
"I think it was about the 12th day we'd been together for the year and to beat a settled VFL side was phenomenal."
Buntine matched up against the much bigger Nathan Vardy for periods of that game and held his own.
At his height, Buntine won't be a key defender in the AFL, but his ability to play on taller opponents if required will be a comforting thought for his coach.
It's something Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats recently took advantage of when prospective No.1 draft pick Jonathon Patton, who stands at 197cm, threatened to break open the game when the Rays played Eastern in round 16.
"We just rolled Matty back there and he dominated with his ability to read the play," Wheeler says.
"He was smart enough to realise that if he lined up side by side against Patton he might have gotten pushed around a bit, so he just played in front of him and cut the ball off every time it came through."
Buntine has the skill-set you can build a team around, which will have Greater Western Sydney looking at him closely with one of its nine picks inside the first 15 at the draft.
Although the draft is only three months away, Buntine is still focused on building towards it rather than looking forward to the big day.
"This year it's obviously really important to do the best you can to get drafted," he says.
"That's been my childhood dream and when that starts to become a bit more realistic you've really got to drive yourself toward that goal.
"It's on the horizon. It's getting closer, but there's still a lot of hard work to do."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/121786/default.aspx
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Brandon Ellis may be one around at one of our first two picks....
Ellis springs
By Callum Twomey
Tue 18 Oct, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20A-E/ellis246b.jpg)
IT IS hard to imagine there was a more interesting, likeable character at this month's NAB AFL Draft Combine than Brandon Ellis.
Ellis looks likely to be selected in November's NAB AFL Draft after a stunning 2011 season with the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup. No wonder when we meet he carries the wide grin of a boy on the cusp of achieving something he has been working towards for much of his life.
Ellis' draft chances catapulted after a superb season. After 13 games for the Cannons as a bottom-age player in 2010 - including their TAC Cup premiership win - Ellis played 16 games in 2011.
A tough and skillful medium-sized defender, he had a standout NAB AFL Under-18 Championships with Vic Metro and was named in the All-Australian Under-18 team. And, at last week's NAB AFL Draft Combine, Ellis only strengthened his claims with some brilliant testing.
His results reflected a player confident and comfortable. His standing vertical jump of 70cm put him in the top 11 per cent of those tested, and his running vertical jump (83cm) rocketed him into the top 4 per cent. He ran 3.05 seconds over 20m, 8.14 seconds for the agility test, and scored 15.4 in the shuttle run, placing him in the top 4 per cent.
He's not particularly big - he stands 181 cm (about the size of Geelong's Joel Selwood) - but he's strong and well-built and would seem ready to play next year if selected.
However, it is not just his football and his athleticism that have impressed many recruiters. His character is just as impressive.
Full article at: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125249/default.aspx
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Elliott Kavanagh is another who could be around at pick 15. Will Hoskin-Elliot will probably be gone by our pick.
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(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20K-O/elliotk246b.jpg)
Elliott Kavanagh
Will Hoskin-Elliott is a wingman who should go in the top 10, while Elliott Kavanagh might go in the top 20.
The Jets pair are opposites in personality - Hoskin-Elliot is quiet while Kavanagh is confident - and they had very different seasons in 2011.
Hoskin-Elliott is whippet-thin and styles himself on Stephen Hill, the Fremantle wingman: "We play similar: get the ball and run - try to take them on."
He said he learned during Vic Metro's third game in the under-18 championships, against Western Australia at Patersons Stadium, that he belonged among the best juniors.
"I got a fair bit of the footy. I thought I could actually play at that level," he said.
Vic Metro coach Rohan Welsh went a bit further, describing Hoskin-Elliott's effort that day as unbelievable.
"It was the coming of age of him as a player," he said. "It was clear he's going to be a quality footballer."
Welsh sent Hoskin-Elliott out with the aim of having 10 handball receives. He achieved that target. He also kicked a running goal from outside the arc, laid several tackles, showed strong hands in the air, and put his head over the ball when required.
It was a breakout game on all fronts.
Hoskin-Elliottt believes his best national championships game was the fifth-round match against Vic Country at Etihad Stadium. "Had a few kicks, a few handballs," he said.
When pressed he admitted: "I played real good. I had seven inside-50s, took a few running bounces, got a fair bit of the ball."
One of the main lessons Hoskin-Elliott took from the championships came in the match against South Australia in Adelaide, where he played on Nick Amato.
"Normally no one keeps up with me; he just ran with me the whole game," Hoskin-Elliott said
With an opponent matching him for speed and endurance, the Vic Metro star resolved to develop an inside game so that he had more avenues towards getting the footy.
Hoskin-Elliott thrived on returning to the Jets. "I'd just improved so much."
His match against the Murray Bushrangers at Wangaratta in July was among the best by any player during the TAC Cup season. He moved from his customary wing position into the middle and had 21 kicks including 14 effective.
"I felt like I could take the game on," he said.
Kavanagh began 2011 by straining a hamstring during the pre-season. The problem was a tendon that was not strong enough to withstand the pressure of football.
He was put on a strength and conditioning program and told to sit out of football while the tendon healed. He only returned to the field in June and even then he was allowed to play only limited match time.
His injury ruled him out of the Vic Metro squad.
Kavanagh returned to form with the Jets only late in the season. His best performance was against the Geelong Falcons at Skilled Stadium in the second-last round.
The next week he got a corked thigh against the Sandringham Dragons, forcing him out of the Jets' finals series - and leaving AFL scouts wondering just what to make of his abilities.
Kavanagh is on the football program at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, where he's doing year 12.
His father is a flight attendant, his mother is a hairdresser, and he's the younger of two boys. The family lives in Williamstown.
One of the main things to emerge from his interview with AFL.com.au is that his spirits remained high despite the fact that he missed most of the season through injury.
"I was positive about getting it right so it wouldn't happen again," he said.
When asked whether he ever got disheartened he admitted: "At times."
There were questions over Kavanagh when he returned to the Jets' line-up in June because his form initially was ordinary. He was playing only half a game while his body readjusted to match tempo.
"It was only in the last four or five games that I started to hit my stride again," he said.
"In the game against Geelong at Skilled Stadium, I was able to actually open up and have a bit more of a run - stride out and break lines."
Kavanagh's best performance at the draft combine was winning the clean hands event. It was a victory that confirmed his skills and renewed expectations that he would be a top-20 pick.
Shane Sexton, the Jets' regional manager, said both Hoskin-Elliott and Kavanagh are speed-endurance athletes who run and carry.
He said Hoskin-Elliott is also good overhead, with a willingness to back into packs, while Kavanagh is an excellent kick. "When Elliott's got the ball in his hand he's an exciting player."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125378/default.aspx
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Liam Sumner is another who is a chance of being still around at our first pick...
Is Liam Sumner the next Dale Thomas
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
October 24, 2011
WHEN Liam Sumner accelerates into space, the opposition's hopes of catching him evaporate quickly.
The dashing wingman is one of the most exhilarating talents in this year's national draft, an almost certain top-15 pick.
He has sizzling breakaway speed and can finish those bursts with precision passes inside 50m.
Along with his once shaggy blond hair, comparisons have been made with Magpie Dale Thomas.
While Sumner, 18, may not yet have as many aerial tricks as Thomas, it is no surprise the 182cm midfielder acknowledges he had modelled his game on the Pies superstar.
"We kind of play on the same strengths, I guess - both quick and agile, and he kind of plays the same positions," Sumner said.
"But just his work rate, I look at that and admire it.
"I love taking the game on. I love the feel of it, getting past (opponents) and the excitement of the whole thing."
In a draft that recruiters privately describe as the most shallow talent pool in a decade, the goalkicking line-breaker sparkles.
He surged into first-round calculations when he kicked six goals for Sandringham Dragons against Gippsland in April, then averaged 15 touches a game in the national championships.
"Whether it's that deft touch to himself, or his ability to keep his feet - for which he is well-known - he is almost cat-like with his balance," Dragons regional manager Ryan O'Connor said. "Sitting in the coach's box you just sort of look at each other, shake your head and say, 'Wow, look at that'."
But as eye-catching as Sumner's natural football instincts are, the keen surfer, originally from St Paul's, does not want to be pegged as flashy.
This season, which finished with a Dragons premiership, has been one of growth and sacrifice.
Sumner was rotated through the engine room to develop his inside game.
"I've been trying to get a lot more hard-ball gets in and under the contest," he said. About mid-season, the slick midfielder made his defensive pressure a priority, and was beginning to notch eight tackles a game.
The second efforts, smothers, blocks, and all-round grunt work were also starting to feature. Though the in-close buffeting he copped was tough on his light frame, the polished playmaker said he had become a more rounded player.
"I feel that I play good footy on the wing, if I can get into that space and run and take the game on," he said. "But I also like to go through the midfield and win my own ball.
"I guess there were some question marks against my name for a couple of things, but I feel as if I have knocked some of those off."
Sumner missed out on selection in the Dragons under-16 team, and was initially overlooked for this year's AIS/AFL squad.
"I had to prove myself," he said.
He persisted, showing there was substance beneath the showy game style, and made his mark this year during the AIS/AFL games against VFL teams.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/is-liam-sumner-the-next-dale-thomas/story-e6frf9jf-1226174569306
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I'm looking forward to attending the club function pre draft night and hearing the inside word.
It will be good to hear some of the names of the players I'll become pretty good friends with in the next 12 months.
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I attend every pre draft function, it is fun! I have never seen you there TBR, will this be your first?
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Sam Frost is another who'll be around at our first two picks. A CHB as well.
Frost warning
By Paul Daffey
Mon 24 Oct, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20F-J/frosty246b.jpg)
SANDRINGHAM Dragons and Vic Metro ruckman/centre half-back Sam Frost made a name for himself in unusual circumstances during a NAB AFL Under-18 Championships game at Patersons Stadium in June.
It was during Vic Metro's match against Western Australia. The ball was shot out to Frost, who clasped his hands together and hit the ball up - as if he were playing volleyball.
In volleyball, such a movement is called a dig. Frost, who had played the sport at school for a few years, felt like digging himself a hole.
"I didn't mean to do it; it was completely reflex," he said.
Frost is a Year 12 student at Wesley College in Melbourne. Besides a short career in volleyball, he's been an emergency for a state under-16 squad in basketball.
He barracks for Richmond because his father David wore the black and gold at Glenelg. David also played for Sturt during his 100-game SANFL career, which was spent mainly at full-back.
One of the first things you notice about Frost is his confidence, a trait he recognises in himself. "I feel comfortable in most situations," he said.
His Dragons coach, Dale Tapping, agreed that Frost is confident, but added that he's not overbearing. "He certainly doesn't swagger."
At 194cm and supremely athletic, Frost has been a subject of interest for more reasons than his predilection for volleyball.
Having played as a ruckman in his bottom-age year at the Dragons, he began this year at centre half-back and shone in the early part of the season.
Tapping described those games as outstanding. "In the first four or five weeks he was almost impassable."
Frost's ability to read the ball at half-back leads you to think of Collingwood's Ben Reid, who took the most intercept marks in the AFL this year. Frost, for that matter, said he models his game on Essendon's athletic big man Paddy Ryder.
Frost was good rather than outstanding at the under-18 championships. His best game was against New South Wales, when he played at centre half-back, centre half-forward and in the ruck, and had almost 30 disposals.
Frost said the online chat after that game on sites such as bigfooty.com served to fuel his confidence that he could go on with his footy.
"It made me feel I can play at that level," he said. "I wasn't sure before that."
By the end of the championships, however, he was struggling with a groin injury. A packed fixture of playing school footy, TAC Cup and national championships had taken its toll, as it does with several elite juniors every year.
Tapping gave Frost six weeks off from playing with the Dragons. "Just to freshen him up," he said.
He came back for the final round, against the Western Jets, and then played in the Dragons' three finals. Tapping said he was solid rather than outstanding in the finals, before adding that he was crucial in the Grand Final.
The Dragons trailed the Oakleigh Chargers by 20 points at three-quarter time. Frost was moved into the ruck and paved the way for some important clearances as the Dragons surged to win by eight points.
"His most endearing quality is his competitiveness," Tapping said. "He's very, very fierce."
Frost's best mate in footy is Ben Darrou, who this year played with him in the Wesley, Dragons and Vic Metro teams. He and Darrou were also at the NAB AFL Draft Combine, for which Frost was unable to test in the physical events because of a hip injury.
Frost's main area for improvement is his kicking. To that end, he and Darrou often adjourn to their local part, the Wattle Grove Reserve in Ormond, to kick ball after ball at each other.
And not once is Frost inclined to revert to his volleyball instincts and dig.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125400/default.aspx
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I attend every pre draft function, it is fun! I have never seen you there TBR, will this be your first?
You have probably always thought I am a club official because I spend so much time chatting with players.
I'm on really good terms with all of them. Great blokes.
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Sam Frost was someone I rated well over the last couple of months. He was on the first line with Mitch Grigg. So a Frost or Grigg selection at 15 would be a good result IMHO. I also like Brett O'Hanlon as a selection at 26, also like Henry Schade from memory. Luke Brown who went to Adelaide in the trade period was also a player I thought would do well and I had him in this group as well. Itll be interesting to see what happens on draft day.
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Hayden Crozier will probably be gone before our first pick but here's an story about him anyway:
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125394/default.aspx
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Here's the kid some phantom drafts have us linked to....
Daniel Markworth leaves it late to show his talent
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
October 25, 2011
(http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2011/10/24/1226175/570873-daniel-markworth.jpg)
DANIEL Markworth is happy to admit he is not like most AFL hopefuls.
While his peers yearned to play in the TAC Cup, the lightning-quick lead-up forward has knocked back invites for several years.
Markworth, a 19-year-old who studies biomedicine at Melbourne University, is one of the most curious propositions in this year's draft.
Not only for his exciting mix of height (189cm) and speed, but also because a year ago he was an unknown in the AFL recruiting scene.
Growing up, the talented sportsman was a star on the tennis circuit, and played soccer and basketball, leaving football to his four brothers.
That was until four years ago, when he embarked on his first footy season at Macedon, and became an instant star.
Still, it was only last pre-season, after much encouragement, that Markworth finally accepted a long-standing offer to join the Calder Cannons.
Within weeks, he was turning AFL recruiters' heads, with his ability to put distance on his man in just a few steps, and mark cleanly.
Within months, he had became a legitimate first-round draft pick.
"It has come on very quickly, so it (AFL) hasn't been something I have been thinking about for a long time," Markworth said.
"But the more and more I do think about it, the more and more I want to get there."
In context, football comes across as much less complex than his thorough study of the human body and the medicines used to treat it.
For that reason, AFL is not the be-all-and-end-all for Markworth, and perhaps one of the reasons why he seems so relaxed discussing it.
Regardless, on the field, his creativity, cleanness and especially his speed, either on the lead or surging away from congestion, is what sets him apart. Like Fremantle's Nat Fyfe, he has the X-factor. Truckloads of it.
At the Draft Combine Markworth posted the equal sixth best time in the 20m sprint and in the repeat speed test. All on a sore knee.
"He has explosive speed, like a V8 against a Corolla," Calder regional manager Ian Kyte said.
"He can hit top speed in three steps, and at the same time, put in a few lateral ones as well."
Last season he notched the fifth most marks on the lead in the TAC Cup. He also showed potential swooping through the midfield.
Given his natural talent, recruiters have wondered why he didn't pursue football earlier.
"There was always going to be question marks why I didn't follow it straight away," Markworth said. "But I was enjoying what I was doing (I was) interested in a lot of sports and finding out as much as possible." Given his relative football inexperience, his upside thrills.
"Considering how green he is, really, there is a lot of improvement in him," Kyte said. "It's not frightening, but the possibilities are he could become a very, very good player."
Not surprisingly, he tries to learn from two of the most game-breaking forwards in the AFL.
"Going for Geelong I like watching Steve Johnson, I think he is very creative. I like the way he plays," he said.
"The other one would be Adam Goodes ... I just love the way he is a goalkicker, he attacks the footy, and just his pace out of the pack."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/daniel-markworth-leaves-it-late-to-show-his-talent/story-e6frf9jf-1226175575353
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Sam Frost was someone I rated well over the last couple of months. He was on the first line with Mitch Grigg. So a Frost or Grigg selection at 15 would be a good result IMHO. I also like Brett O'Hanlon as a selection at 26, also like Henry Schade from memory. Luke Brown who went to Adelaide in the trade period was also a player I thought would do well and I had him in this group as well. Itll be interesting to see what happens on draft day.
I'm guessing Frost and Talia would be on the radar if we are looking at tall key defenders. With two 'first' round picks there's a chance we may go for a midfielder with one pick and a key defender with the other if a quality kid of that type is still available at 26.
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Taylor Adams
Club: Geelong Falcons, Victoria
Date of birth: 20/09/93
Height: 179cm
Weight: 80kg
Draft range: 8-18
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Taylor%20Adams316a2.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Adams showed off his impressive endurance with a 15.1 beep test and a 10:39 in the 3km time trial. His 20m sprint time was a touch over three seconds, which shows he has some speed to go with his big tank.
Jason Phelan says: Adams is a classy midfielder who also has a hard edge to his game that has seen him likened to Geelong's Jimmy Bartel. He averaged 28 possessions per match with the Falcons this year with 10 of those contested. He is a strong tackler who is tough to shake loose once he latches on. He disposes of the ball well by hand in traffic and is an elite kick off his right boot. Adams has strong leadership credentials. He was one of many Falcons to have a quiet game against Oakleigh in the last round of the TAC Cup, but he maintained a strong voice despite the lopsided nature of the contest that ended with a 130-point margin.
Kevin Sheahan says: Averaged 18.8 disposals and four tackles at NAB AFL U18 Championships. Exceptional leader, is clean and strong around contest. U18 All-Australian. From St Joseph's FC.
In his own words: "I'm a hard in-and-under midfielder that is good around contests. I can also play outside and am a consistent kick off my left and right foot."
https://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123399/default.aspx
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Toby Greene a ball magnet
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
October 26, 2011
(http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Toby+Greene+AFL+U18+Championships+Vic+Metro+Dt3Fb6kmYNml.jpg)
TOBY Greene is still coming to terms with his rise as one of the country's elite underage midfielders.
It is probably because things have happened in such a hurry for the centreman, who was unable to cement his place at Oakleigh in the TAC Cup last year.
After overcoming some injury problems, Greene was invited back to train for the start of last pre-season, but initially, being more of a quiet, reserved character, he blended in rather than stood out.
However, as soon as the practice games began, the lightly-framed player with the big engine quickly stamped himself as a dominant ball winner.
Next month, he is likely to be in the first dozen or so picks in the national draft.
"During those early periods he probably flew under the radar," Chargers regional manager Mark Smart said.
"He is a quiet young man, a bit introverted, and you can get a bit lost in a squad of 75 players.
"But as the pre-season games began, his decision-making and spatial awareness really came to the fore.
"Then we could really see what he could do."
Greene has been described by scouts as "your meat and potatoes man", someone who thrives within the confines of stoppages, largely because of his agility and cleverness in tight spaces.
When it comes to reading a ruckman's tap, Greene has the acumen.
But there is nothing flashy about his style, just an ability to keep moving to the right spots, use the ball decisively by hand and push to the next contest.
AFL clubs are sizing up Greene as a workhorse around whom they could build a midfield.
The 180cm clearance specialist, who admires Western Bulldogs' hard-ball king Matthew Boyd, was called up to the Vic Metro squad as more of an afterthought. But he shone at the national championships, averaging 24 touches.
It earned him All-Australian honours before some outstanding late-season efforts leading into and during the TAC Cup finals for Oakleigh.
His consistency cemented his position at the top end of the draft order, something that still seems to surprise him.
"I obviously, at the start of the year, didn't expect it to turn out as it did. I was very pleased with how it did," Greene said.
"Being in that bracket, an elite midfielder, it definitely is a pretty big honour."
A former gun 800m runner, 18-year-old Greene said he admired Boyd's toughness at stoppages, and was learning to be more vocal.
"I pride myself on my inside game ... and being able to read the play and be where the ball is going to be and work really hard to find space," he said.
"But also I try to be as good as I can off field, training as hard as I can. I probably don't talk much, but it's something I will have to try and improve if I want to be in that elite bracket of midfielder."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/toby-greene-a-ball-magnet/story-e6frf9jf-1226176698992
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Matthew Buntine
Club: Dandenong Stingrays, Victoria
Date of birth: 19/10/93
Height: 189cm
Weight: 84kg
Draft range: 3-7
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Matthew%20Buntine316ab.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Buntine was restricted by injury at the combine and didn't participate in any endurance testing or the agility drill. However, he tested well in the vertical leaps and posted a time of 2.98s in the 20m sprint.
Jason Phelan says: Buntine is half-back flanker who is the best reader of the play in the draft. He won't go No.1, but at least one AFL recruiter believes he is worthy of that lofty consideration. His decision-making and creativity coming from the back half will be an asset to whichever club calls his name in November. He is very good overhead for his height. He played on likely No.1 draft pick Jonathon Patton late in the TAC Cup season, impressing his coach with his ability to play in front of the 197cm monster and curb his influence despite the height difference. Shin splints meant he had a slow start to the year, but the silver lining there was that he spent his recovery time in the gym where he developed the core strength to acquit himself well in the AFL very quickly.
Kevin Sheahan says: AIS-AFL Academy member who won the Ben Mitchell Medal. Injury curtailed his impact at the U18 championships, but he impressed against Vic Metro. Good size, strong overhead, has a good game feel and uses the ball well.
In his own words: I'm a defensive half-back that can play on both talls and smalls. I also have rebounding ability.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/122454/default.aspx
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Sebastian Ross's impeccable red-and-black bloodlines
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
October 26, 2011
(http://www.dlcache.indiatimes.com/imageserve/06MP6tg6eH7BO/x160.jpg)
Video: http://video.heraldsun.com.au/2159725483/2011-draft-pick-Sebastian-Ross
REGARDLESS of where Sebastian Ross lands in the national draft, he will always have a special connection with Essendon.
As the cousin of Jobe Watson, and nephew of club legend Tim, Ross has royal Bomber blood.
The 187cm midfield hard nut, much like the Essendon captain, is renowned for his stoppage work.
But, in another likeness to the young Jobe, the powerful left-footed onballer has been forced to lift his endurance.
So when the challenge came to increase his running capacity to help build his inside/outside game, Ross knew who to call.
"Maybe the endurance is a genetic thing," Ross laughed. "When he was drafted, Jobe wasn't the same player he is now.
"He has made a name for himself with how hard he has worked behind the scenes.
"Now he is one of the fittest guys at Essendon."
Inspired by his cousin, the 18-year-old has this year undertaken a punishing training regime. "At the start of the year I identified it as a part of my game to really work on," he said.
It meant weekly boxing sessions, torturous interval training, and running by himself on a nearby oval in hometown Horsham.
Having moved to Ballarat to further his footy, the teen who'd like to base his game on Tiger star Dustin Martin upped the ante upon returning home on school holidays.
He would sprint distances from 100 to 500m, then reverse the order, remembering "not to eat beforehand" in fear of it coming back up.
As a result, he was able to maintain his high workrate late in games, and recorded some pleasing results at the draft camp this month.
"I was over the moon with the tests, it probably reflected a little bit of the hard work I had put in," he said.
Ross, who represented Vic Country, was one of the Rebels' leading midfielders, averaging 25 touches.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/sebastian-rosss-impeccable-red-and-black-bloodlines/story-e6frf9jf-1226177708725
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Another kid who will be around our first pick....
Sam Docherty
Club: Gippsland Power, Victoria
Date of birth: 17/10/93
Height: 185cm
Weight: 83kg
Draft range: 12-20
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Sam%20Docherty316a2.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Docherty picked up a hip injury late in the season playing for Gippsland and was unable to test at the combine.
Jason Phelan says: Docherty missed out on the initial Vic Country squad, but the creative half-back flanker overcame that disappointment to force his way back in with a string of excellent performances for the Power. He made the most of his opportunity when he was brought in for the fourth game of the carnival with an eye-catching display across half-back against WA at Skilled Stadium. He often handled the kick-ins for Gippsland, thanks to his ability to find a target, and his kicking under pressure is a feature of his game. He's strong overhead and knows when to go at the ball or throw a block to create space for a teammate.
Kevin Sheahan says: Docherty was best on ground in the U18 championship game against WA. Reads the play well and dashes from defence. Is a good kick under pressure. From Phillip Island FC.
In his own words: I love to run and carry the footy and use my skills and decision making to create plays for the team. I also read the ball well off the opposition to intercept play.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123411/default.aspx
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Sam Docherty 's running a straight line to the top
by: Jay Clark
From: Sunday Herald Sun
October 30, 2011
SAM Docherty is not one to stick to the safe options charging from defence.
The Gippsland Power defender is armed with arguably the most potent right-foot kick in this year's draft pool.
The man who models his game on Carlton's Chris Yarran has the power and precision in his right leg to unpick a forward press.
But it's not just the technique that makes Docherty, who has stormed up the under-age rankings, a tantalising first-round draft pick next month.
It's his aggressive mindset, and a coolness under pressure, that helps enable him to hit even the most cramped targets with a 60m pass, bursting from the back line.
"I love to carry the footy with my run and bounce and use my skills and usually take the option that is going to affect the team the best," Docherty said.
"Sometimes it doesn't pay off, sometimes it does. Most of the times it does because I usually make a good decision ... I love having the right foot as a weapon."
Docherty, 18, is one of the biggest surprise packets of the draft.
This time last year, the TAC Cup rebound king was playing local footy for Phillip Island. He had been overlooked for a berth in the Power's team because of a persistent back strain.
Docherty said it was in the local league, playing against men as a junior, that he built confidence in his disposal.
"I played two years of seniors, first as a 15-year-old then as 16-year-old, and that's where I learnt to use it (kicking skills)," he said.
"I just learnt to take on all the old blokes, and I've just carried it on to TAC Cup this year."
Docherty, who notched the second-most back-50m rebounds in the TAC Cup this year, made his biggest statement at the national championships.
The 183cm back flanker missed out on initial selection for Vic Country, but earned a call-up for the last two games, and starred with his swift movement.
Unflustered in tight situations, Docherty also showed himself to be more than capable defensively, standing strong in one-on-one contests and helping teammates.
sIn the minds of recruiters, his stocks were soaring.
"To go straight in and play as well as I did, I was astounded really," he said.
"I didn't think I was going to come in and make that much of a difference but I backed my own ability and kept going."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/sam-docherty-s-running-a-straight-line-to-the-top/story-e6frf9jf-1226180426377
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Andrew Boseley overcomes shoulder injury to put himself in draft contention
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
October 31, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/BOSELEY-Andrew-246B.jpg)
ANDREW Boseley was given a 10 per cent chance of lasting out the season.
The Geelong Falcons key defender suffered a tear in his right shoulder in Round 6 and was told he needed a reconstruction.
But his form in the early part of the season alone was not necessarily going to get him drafted.
If he could manage to play through to the national championships, and perform well on the big-name forwards, it would boost his chances.
So with his right shoulder heavily strapped, the gutsy full-back set about blunting the top spearheads in the country, sending his stocks soaring.
"The guys at the club said you might not get drafted if you pull the pin now, but if I could get through six more games, and just strap it up, it could help," Boseley said.
"Lucky enough I got through to the championships and just treated every game after that as a bonus, and by the end of the season I wasn't really worried about it (shoulder). My confidence grew."
The 19-year-old, who is commonly likened to a young Dustin Fletcher, enhanced his reputation significantly at the carnival, keeping Jonathon Patton, the likely No.1 draft pick, under wraps.
His closing speed, athleticism and ability to read the ball in the air makes him an expert spoiler, and one of the top key defenders in the draft.
Boseley, who starred up forward for South Barwon in last year's Geelong Football League under-18 grand final, also has the speed and nous to hurt the opposition on the rebound.
He put on 6kg in the off-season and focused on his defensive game and positioning in the aerial contests, under the tutelage of former Falcons coach Aaron Greaves.
"To have the season he did was a really good effort because he had the shoulder and we threw him some really big challenges," Falcons regional manager Michael Turner said.
"The challenges don't come much bigger than the likely No.1 pick in the draft, Jon Patton, who is bigger than Jon Brown at the same age. But he performed really well on him in the national championships. And he has still got a light frame so there is still a lot of development in him."
Boseley has now had the shoulder reconstruction in preparation for his selection, perhaps early in the second round of next month's draft.
Fremantle, with pick 29, seems to be in the box seat to secure the services of the 194cm stopper.
But Geelong has a penchant for picking red-heads from St Joseph's, (think Cameron Ling and Barry Stoneham) and could pounce if he slips through to pick 34.
At the Draft Combine, the tall's results put his running in the elite category for a big man. He ran 20m in 2.93sec, registered a 14.10 beep test and ran 3km in 10min 40sec. Boseley also spoke to officials from Sydney, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/andrew-boseley-overcomes-shoulder-injury-to-put-himself-in-draft-contention/story-e6frf9jf-1226180833651
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Son of Tom?
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MR C?
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Todd Elton
Club: Dandenong Stingrays, Victoria
Date of birth: 29/04/93
Height: 197cm
Weight: 92kg
Draft range: 15-30
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Todd%20Elton-316aa112.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Elton tested very well in the vertical leap drills, with his 89cm jump off his left foot putting him in the top 2 per cent at the combine. His time of 2.93s in the 20m sprint is exceptional for a player of his height. He scored 25 out of 30 in the Matthew Lloyd clean hands test, which placed him equal ninth overall.
Jason Phelan says: Elton's draft stocks waned a little on the back of an average showing at the national carnival, but it was later revealed he was struggling to overcome an infected spider bite on an elbow. He was used in the ruck and up forward at TAC Cup level, but he will benefit from becoming a permanent forward at an AFL club. Elton has an excellent burst speed that can give him separation from a defender. He's still learning how to use his big frame in a one-on-one situation, but showed a glimpse of what he's capable of with nine contested marks against Bendigo in the last round of the TAC Cup season.
Kevin Sheahan says: Elton was an AIS-AFL Academy member and Vic Country U18 representative. He is good below the knees and disposes of the ball effectively. Shows great character and leadership, averaged 12.6 disposals and six marks for the Stingrays this year. From Somerville FC.
In his own words: I am a tall, hard-working, mobile player with excellent marking skills. I'm very athletic with great skills below my knees.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125523/default.aspx
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Todd Elton
Club: Dandenong Stingrays, Victoria
Date of birth: 29/04/93
Height: 197cm
Weight: 92kg
Draft range: 15-30
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Todd%20Elton-316aa112.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Elton tested very well in the vertical leap drills, with his 89cm jump off his left foot putting him in the top 2 per cent at the combine. His time of 2.93s in the 20m sprint is exceptional for a player of his height. He scored 25 out of 30 in the Matthew Lloyd clean hands test, which placed him equal ninth overall.
Jason Phelan says: Elton's draft stocks waned a little on the back of an average showing at the national carnival, but it was later revealed he was struggling to overcome an infected spider bite on an elbow. He was used in the ruck and up forward at TAC Cup level, but he will benefit from becoming a permanent forward at an AFL club. Elton has an excellent burst speed that can give him separation from a defender. He's still learning how to use his big frame in a one-on-one situation, but showed a glimpse of what he's capable of with nine contested marks against Bendigo in the last round of the TAC Cup season.
Kevin Sheahan says: Elton was an AIS-AFL Academy member and Vic Country U18 representative. He is good below the knees and disposes of the ball effectively. Shows great character and leadership, averaged 12.6 disposals and six marks for the Stingrays this year. From Somerville FC.
In his own words: I am a tall, hard-working, mobile player with excellent marking skills. I'm very athletic with great skills below my knees.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125523/default.aspx
Strikes me as a utility we could throw at either end of the ground. Could be developed as a third tall forward or even the height we are looking for on the backline. At 92kg is pretty much near ready size wise.
Could be worth looking at with our second pick.
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Another kid who will be available around our second pick (#26):
Alex Forster
Club: Norwood, South Australia
Date of birth: 14/07/93
Height: 189cm
Weight: 77kg
Draft range: 20-30
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Alex%20Forster-316aaa2.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Forster's time of 8.21s in the agility test was the highlight of his combine. That time ranked him inside the top 17 per cent of participants. His score of 24 out of 30 in the clean hands test ranked him equal 13th overall.
Jason Phelan says: Forster is a real 'Mr. Fixit', but is by no means a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. He had an outstanding championship for SA playing predominantly off a half-back flank, where he displayed the ability to shut down his opponent while still providing rebound with his clean disposal by foot a feature. He made his SANFL senior debut late in the season and kept his spot in the Redlegs' line-up right through their finals campaign.
Kevin Sheahan says: Forster averaged 15.4 disposals (84.4 per cent efficiency) at the U18 championships, winning All-Australian honours. He has clean hands, and always seems to be composed.
In his own words: I'm a tall, running defender who uses the ball well on both sides of my body. I'm a good reader of the play and make good decisions.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125524/default.aspx
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Adam Tomlinson is a KPP who could be available around our first pick....
Hurley burly
By Callum Twomey
Wed 02 Nov, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/TOMLINSON-Adam-246B.jpg)
ADAM Tomlinson has had a very busy year but - thanks mainly to a cool demeanour and organised approach - has managed.
In 2011, the promising key-position prospect played with the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup, Vic Metro in the NAB AFL Under-18s Championships, Trinity College in the AGSV competition and the AIS-AFL Academy Squad.
For a player with a lesser focus, it would be considered a daunting campaign.
But Tomlinson, despite his concentration being tested and durability stretched, took it in his stride, which (for a player standing 194cm and weighing 90 kg) is a big one.
He grew into one of the best tall prospects in this year's NAB AFL Draft, an athletic competitor capable of playing as a forward or defender. He has impressed clubs with his attitude, his character and his intent on making it as an AFL player.
"I take my footy very seriously and have my whole life," Tomlinson says. "I don’t see any game as a chance to muck around."
Read more and the full article at: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125737/default.aspx
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And another kid who may be still around our first pick...
Toby Greene
Club: Oakleigh Chargers, Victoria
Date of birth: 25/09/93
Height: 181cm
Weight: 76kg
Draft range: 7-14
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Toby%20Greene316a2.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Greene ranked just inside the top 20 per cent in the running vertical jump and showed off his excellent endurance with a 15.2 beep test and a time of 10:27 in the 3km time trial. His score of 24 out of 30 in the clean hands test ranked equal 13th at the combine.
Jason Phelan says: Greene is an inside midfielder who thrives in a contested situation. He reads the play well, has the strength to stand in a tackle and dish the ball off and is invariably a high possession winner. He's not a speedster, but he buys himself time and space with his quick hands that often put his opponent on the wrong foot. Greene is a highly effective run and carry player who should adapt to the pace of AFL football quickly. TAC Cup Team of the Year member.
Kevin Sheahan says: Greene is a great ball winner and decision-maker. He has evasive and defensive skills and endurance. Averaged 24.5 touches at the U18 titles, was All-Australian and Vic Metro MVP. From Wesley College.
In his own words: I'm an inside midfielder who likes to try and create space and break lines.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125531/default.aspx
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Mitchell Grigg
Club: Norwood, South Australia
Date of birth: 02/01/93
Height: 182cm
Weight: 82kg
Draft range: 20-35
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Mitchell%20Grigg316a2.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Endurance is one of Grigg's stronger points, so it came as no surprise to see him register a 14.13 beep test and a 10:29 3km time trial at the combine.
Jason Phelan says: Grigg is a strongly built midfielder who can lay claim to being one of the elite kicks of this draft class. What he lacks in speed off the mark he makes up for with the length and accuracy he can achieve off his left boot. He's good in traffic and generally makes good decisions under pressure. Grigg made his senior SANFL debut late in the season and played in the Redlegs' preliminary final against the Eagles.
Kevin Sheahan says: Grigg is very good in close with his hands and uses the ball effectively from contested situations. He also has an extremely accurate left foot. Averaged 24.4 possessions at 69 per cent efficiency at NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, earning All-Australian honours. From Athelstone FC.
In his own words: I'm an inside midfielder who gets the ball out to runners, but who can also get on the receiving side to use my kicking ability.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125725/default.aspx
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Is Alex 'Shorty' Woodward the next Luke Ball?
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
November 05,
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/WOODWARD-Alex-246B.jpg)
ALEX Woodward has copped his fair share of big hits this season, but none as potentially devastating as the one he received in the TAC Cup grand final.
The tough midfielder was helping power Sandringham Dragons to a thrilling comeback win when he was collected high midway through the final quarter. The knock threatened to end his day and derail the team's flag tilt as it trailed at the time.
But the teen who won more clearances than anyone else in the TAC Cup this season isn't regarded as one of the best ball-winners in Victoria for no reason.
When given the option of a breather, the skipper didn't want let his teammates down.
"I just tried to gather the ball but it didn't bounce my way and another player came diving in," Woodward said. "I've watched it on the replay but I hardly remember it.
"I pushed the trainers away. I didn't want to have a bar of it (going off).
"I wanted to do everything I could for the team and I wasn't much use to my teammates off the field."
As it happened, Woodward, who averaged 15 contested possessions and seven clearances this season, saw the Dragons to their second premiership.
It proved a fitting end to an excellent year for the hard-working midfielder, who finished second in the TAC Cup best and fairest.
But another chapter awaits should Woodward be selected, most probably in the mid to late part, of this month's draft.
Though short at 179cm, Woodward makes up for his lack of height with his ferocious attack on the ball and his willingness to throw himself into the contest.
His endeavour was on show at the national championships when the Vic Metro onballer averaged 10 contested possessions a game, putting him in elite company.
The 18-year-old said his hard approach to winning the ball had its roots in something his father told him as a junior.
"My father really nailed it into me at a young age just to attack the footy as hard as I can because I'm a short player," Woodward said. "On the ground is where I do my best work, trying to get first possession."
Burrowing under the packs, Woodward inflicts most of his damage by hand, and also showed flexibility in attack.
For a small midfielder, Woodward is strong overhead, and impressed at the draft camp, recording a sizzling 20m sprint time (2.89sec), which ranked equal sixth among the speedsters.
It smashed any perception the rugged youngster lacked pace.
The gifted tennis player models his game on Collingwood ball magnet Luke Ball.
"I really like his attack on the footy, his desperation for the contest, and his appetite to get the footy first for his teammates is something I really aspire to," Woodward said.
"I've always had the mindset that no one is going to get the footy for you; you've got to get in first, and give it to your teammates first."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/is-alex-shorty-woodward-the-next-luke-ball/story-fnau1fjg-1226186182216
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Months of adversity harden Kerridge's resolve to reach top flight
by: Jay Clark
From: Sunday Herald Sun
November 06, 2011
(http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Sam+Kerridge+G9xYqfbZjjum.jpg)
EVEN when the weeks began to turn into months on the sidelines, Sam Kerridge showed that his football fortitude was unbreakable.
The hardened inside midfielder was dealt a nightmare blow last season when a nasty case of osteitis pubis outed him for all except four TAC Cup games.
He had moved from Mildura to Bendigo as a 16-year-old to play footy, but spent most of last year in the rehab room.
But there is good reason why Bendigo Pioneers officials liken his determination to the Selwoods, a revered name in club history.
After a torturous summer reconditioning his body, the powerful onballer this year completed one of the most spirited comebacks of the TAC Cup season when his strong finish to the year shored up his position as likely second or third round pick in this month's draft.
He said the injury tested every fibre of his AFL dream, but he was glad the time out only steeled his resolve to make it.
"To have something like that pretty much wipe out your whole season is definitely devastating," Kerridge said.
"But the best thing I could do was just do everything that was going to help me come back stronger and I was able to do that with all the support of the people around me."
In a team that struggled to win only one game this season, Kerridge, 18, won many admirers with his powerful takes away from the clearances.
The 187cm onballer has a burst of speed and a penetrating kick that make him a weapon in the midfield, while his strong-bodied marking has underlined his flexibility up forward.
He prides himself on winning the contested ball, and competed admirably against men when he was promoted to Bendigo's VFL team for three games.
"Just being able to break away and get that first give or first clearance to really help the team push forward," he said.
"I love winning the hard ball and being in and under the contest."
The AIS/AFL graduate's stocks rose further at the draft camp when Kerridge recorded personal-best times across the board. He excelled in the endurance events, ranking equal fourth in the beep test and 3km time trial.
Pioneers regional manager Ray Byrne likened Kerridge's toughness and commitment to West Coast tagger Scott Selwood.
"Sam reminds me a lot of how the youngest Selwood played when he was here - their work ethic and determination is very similar," Byrne said.
"He's been a terrific leader for us at the club, this year and last year, when he had the injuries.
"He fought through them and this year he has really come home with a wet sail.
"His work ethic and attitude around the club is fantastic. He would not be out of place at a league club."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/months-of-adversity-harden-kerridges-resolve-to-reach-top-flight/story-e6frf9jf-1226186602883
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Shane Kersten
Club: South Fremantle, Western Australia
Date of birth: 15/3/93
Height: 191cm
Weight: 92kg
Draft range: 13-25
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/Shane%20Kersten316a2.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Kersten's score of 25 out of 30 in the Matthew Lloyd clean hands test ranked him inside the top 10 at the combine. He showed good speed with a 2.98s in the 20m sprint, but was unable to take part in endurance testing due to injury.
Jason Phelan says: Kersten narrowly missed out on being taken by GWS as one of the club's 17-year-olds last year. He missed plenty of footy in 2011, including the national championships, with a severe elbow injury but the tall forward finished the season strongly with South Fremantle. He followed up bags of six and seven goals with a five-goal haul in the Bulldogs colts' Grand Final win against Claremont. His strong finish and elite kicking have seen his draft stocks rise considerably.
Kevin Sheahan says: Kersten is a tall forward who is strong on the lead and sound overhead. He is an accurate kick for goal and has represented WA at under-16 level in 2009 and under-18 level in 2010, kicking 15 goals in five matches. Made his senior debut in the WAFL last year.
In his own words: I'm a long-kicking forward who takes his opportunities in front of goal.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125797/default.aspx
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Study and gym for Jack Newnes until draft
by: Sam Edmund
From: Herald Sun
November 09, 2011
(http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2011/11/08/1226189/373049-jack-newnes.jpg)
ASKED if he is feeling nervous, anxious or excited, Jack Newnes replies: "Pretty much all three."
Such is life as an AFL draft prospect in 2011.
The 18-year-old Northern Knights graduate is counting down the days until November 24. But while most of his contemporaries have VCE exams to worry about, Newnes is forced to find other distractions.
"I was a young Year 12 last year. I was doing a TAFE course this year at RMIT in advertising ... just so I had something else and wasn't going to go mad thinking about footy," Newnes said.
"I've been going to the gym because I need to put a bit of size on and strengthen up because if it actually does happen and I do get drafted you're expected to be fit from day one."
Part-time work and catching up with mates is also part of the distraction plan ahead of his career-defining day.
"I've been doing a fair bit and that can keep your mind off it, but it's always in the back of your head. You just don't want to let it get to you and stress you out too much," Newnes said.
"I try to keep myself calm and not stress too much about it. Obviously you think about it a fair bit during the day.
"You don't want to think about it as the be-all and end-all. I don't think I'm certain to get drafted, I'm hoping it will happen."
The versatile midfielder averaged 22.8 disposals (8.6 contested), 6.2 marks and three tackles in his 11 appearances with the Knights in the TAC Cup this year.
A composed player who uses the ball efficiently and provides run for his team, Newnes can also go forward or back when required.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/study-and-gym-for-jack-newnes-until-draft/story-fnau1fjg-1226189373706
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Jordan Lockyer
Club: West Perth, Western Australia
Date of birth: 15/6/93
Height: 192cm
Weight: 86kg
Draft range: 20-35
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20K-O/Jordan%20Lockyer316b.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Lockyer impressed in vertical leap testing, ranking in the top 3 per cent off his left foot, while he clocked a blazing 2.89s in the 20m sprint. He displayed good repeat endurance with a time of 24.68s in the repeat sprints and finished off an excellent combine with an equal-second ranking in the Nathan Buckley kicking test.
Jason Phelan says: The versatile tall defender had his championships interrupted when he suffered a bad concussion against Vic Metro, but he finished the season strongly. He broke through for his senior WAFL debut with West Perth and didn't look out of place in two games. In a draft pool a little short on quality talls, Lockyer stands out as one of the better key/third tall prospects later in the first round.
Kevin Sheahan says: Averaged 75 per cent effectiveness at the national U18 championships. The son of former Eagle Andrew Lockyer., Jordan is a versatile type who reads the game well and uses the ball effectively.
In his own words: I'm a hard-working player who loves a challenge and does everything I can to benefit the team.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125803/default.aspx
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could see being taken with our second pick if he is available - unless he is just a suck hole.
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Freo may grab him with one of their two top 20 picks to avoid the go home factor of selecting a Victorian kid.
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Makes sense, MT
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Brad McKenzie
Club: Sturt, South Australia
Date of birth: 29/5/93
Height: 188cm
Weight: 76kg
Draft range: 9-18
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20K-O/Brad%20McKenzie316b.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: McKenzie's elite agility shone through at the combine, where he registered a time of 8.12s, which ranked him in the top 8 per cent of players tested.
Jason Phelan says: McKenzie's powerful and pinpoint left boot makes him one of the more sought after midfielders in this draft. His ability to pick apart a defence and deliver the ball to the advantage of his forwards is first class and he complements that with his willingness to go after the hard ball. He has some work to do on his endurance, but that will come with an AFL pre-season or two under his belt. He made his senior SANFL debut with Sturt this season and played three games.
Kevin Sheahan says: McKenzie is a classy left-footer who averaged 16.4 disposals and three tackles at the U18 championships. He is a good mark, and brings others into the game with his composure and creativity. From Marryatville HS.
In his own words: I'm a tall midfielder who can play off half-back.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125817/default.aspx
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Ball at the feet of Clay Smith
by: Jay Clark
From: Sunday Herald Sun
November 13, 2011
(http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Clay+Smith+TAC+Cup+Grand+Final+Cannons+v+Power+rtUf0botp-Bl.jpg)
CLAY Smith has little regard for his own safety on the football field.
The onballer is one of the most fearless players in the TAC Cup, according to Gippsland Power regional manager Peter Francis.
He saw it in Smith's unwavering attack on the ball, and the way he played on with a strained medial ligament in the Power's first final last season.
The All-Australian crumpled on his right knee in a tackle in the first 10 minutes of the game, but willed his way back into the contest.
"Not a lot of boys would have gone back on, but he was determined to get back on the field and make an impact for his team, which he did," Francis said. "That shows you how tough he is."
Smith almost missed his call to the national championships this year, when his Vic Country invitation was sent to an previous address.
Realising at the last minute, the hardened ball-winner didn't disappoint at the carnival, averaging 10 contested possessions and 13 pressure acts a game.
"I don't like being beaten too much, so just getting in and under and feeding it out to the runners, that would probably be my strength," Smith said.
His competitiveness got the attention of recruiters, with all but three clubs interviewing the left-footer at the draft camp. At the same time, he set a personal best beep test, at 15.3, which ranked sixth overall.
Francis knew when Smith finished second to Essendon Rising Star winner Dyson Heppell in last year's Gippsland best-and-fairest as a bottom-ager that the NAB AFL Draft hopeful had a future.
Francis said the strong-bodied 18-year-old was an exceptional talent around the stoppages. "He is as hard as they come, just a tackling machine," he said.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ball-at-the-feet-of-clay-smith/story-fnau1fjg-1226193510395
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Top marks for Hayden Crozier
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
November 14, 2011
(http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2011/11/13/1226193/963632-hayden-crozier.jpg)
HAYDEN Crozier is trying to shrug a stereotype.
Since the spring-heeled utility took one of the marks of the year at the national championships in June, he has been the talk of the recruiting world.
At his best, the lightning fast left footer and uncanny goalkicker is one of the most talented players in the draft pool.
Someone who, according to his Eastern Ranges' coach Darren Bewick, could "take mark of the year and goal of the year" in the same game.
When Crozier latched on to the screamer in Perth, he was catapulted into top-10 draft calculations.
But the learning curve since has been a steep one.
The 17-year-old was struck down by illness, stripping a few kilograms from his 68kg frame.
Even though his expectations remained high, it wasn't long before Crozier was down on form and low on confidence.
"It was pretty difficult after the national championships. From the mark on, I got sick and wasn't travelling too well," Crozier said.
"The first two games after the champs were really bad, I wasn't enjoying footy. I had a lot of pressure on me to perform, being a Vic Metro rep. From then on I had to make a choice because if I kept playing as bad as I was, I wouldn't get drafted."
In consultation with Bewick, the long-kicking forward shifted to the backline for the last part of the TAC Cup season.
"I had never played back in my life, but I had to change things up," Crozier said.
Suddenly, the burden eased. Crozier won plenty of the ball and worked hard to help create openings for his teammates.
His defensive pressure also improved. Most importantly, Crozier was enjoying his footy again.
Bewick said although the 184cm utility is viewed predominantly as a flashy outside player, his game has become much more rounded.
"They (the spectacular things) aren't important to him," Bewick said. "What has come to roost is that other parts of his game are more important to him.
"We knew what he could do when he had the ball. What we worked with him on was what he could do when the ball wasn't in his area, how to contribute.
"Things like his defensive pressure was a real priority for him. He worked harder."
By the end of a mixed season, Crozier averaged 19 touches, including nine contested, five marks and one goal a game.
At the draft combine, Crozier's 20m sprint time was ranked sixth. His running vertical jump, which enables him to fly high above most others, was ranked second. When combined with his neat left-foot kick, he had several exciting tools.
But where Crozier fits into the draft order has recruiters puzzled.
Bewick said the club that secured Crozier would be rewarded.
"He's got a really good footy brain and around the ground he knows how to win the ball," Bewick said.
"He's played a lot as a high, hit-up forward but with a few AFL pre-seasons under his belt, I think he could develop into someone who could push up into the wing.
"Some people think he's a Kade Simpson type, he's a left footer who kicks the ball well. I think he will flourish into a really good AFL player."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/top-marks-for-hayden-crozier/story-fnau1fjg-1226193965701
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Shane Nelson
Club: West Perth, Western Australia
Date of birth: 11/5/93
Height: 177cm
Weight: 69kg
Draft range: 25-40
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20K-O/Shane%20Nelson316b.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Nelson was limited in testing at the combine, but what he did do was impressive. His 2.87s time in the 20m sprint saw him ranked equal third overall and his agility test time of 8.13s saw him finish inside the top 10. He rounded out an excellent meeting by finishing first in the Nathan Buckley kicking test with a score of 29 out of 30.
Jason Phelan says: Nelson didn't participate in the endurance testing at the combine, but his workrate in a game setting is unquestioned. His ability to work to multiple contests from start to finish sees him accumulate plenty of the ball, with his clearance work a feature. He performed at a consistently high level in a WA team that struggled in division one company at the under-18 championships this year, and his ability to run and carry the ball will make him an attractive prospect for a club late in the first or early in the second round.
Kevin Sheahan says: Nelson averaged 22 disposals at the national under-18 championships. He is an effective user of the ball who works tirelessly. Has speed, can play midfield and move forward and kick goals. From Edgewater Woodvale JFC.
In his own words: I'm a midfielder who can run all day. I can read the play well which allows me to find a lot of the football. I also have the ability to go forward and kick goals.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125963/default.aspx
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Sam Frost warms to true love
by: Matt Windley
From: Herald Sun
November 15, 2011
(http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/11/14/1226195/027343-sam-frost.jpg)
IF Sam Frost is picked up by an interstate club in next week's national draft, he will have no problems shifting from home.
That's no disrespect to his family or friends, but it wasn't long ago that Frost wanted to move overseas to pursue his dream of playing basketball in the US college system.
But like so many other talented youngsters, juggling two sports and school became too much for him. The 194cm Frost was forced to make a choice.
"In the end it wasn't a tough choice," he said.
"I'd always played both, always loved both, but I was emergency for the state basketball team and doing a heap of other stuff and just burned out a bit.
"After that I just lost a bit of motivation for basketball and started liking footy a bit more. By the time I had to make a choice, it seemed pretty obvious which was the right way to go."
Another sport, volleyball, took up a lot of Frost's time at high school, but not as much as some might suggest.
"Everyone seems to think I have this massive volleyball background, but that isn't really true," Frost said.
"It wasn't anything big. I moved to Wesley (College) and played in the first team for a few years.
"I did go to an AIS selection camp, but I was never serious about it. I can't remember where the rumours started. I love the sport, but it's not my background."
"Obviously, on the ball-handling side of things, it's helped heaps. I think it's also helped my awareness and ability to read the play.
"And I guess it's probably helped with some of my athletic attributes - the jumping and any explosive sort of stuff. It's all been good for that, as well."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/sam-frost-warms-to-true-love/story-fnau1fjg-1226195030575
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Ready for redemption after injury setback - Elliot Kavanagh
Emma Quayle
The Age
November 15, 2011
(http://images.theage.com.au/2011/11/14/2773003/art-svKAVANAGH-420x0.jpg)
THERE'S a shoe rack in one corner, brimming with runners, boots and the odd pair of thongs. There's a pile of magazines by the table tennis table, bikes hanging from one wall and a Swiss ball rolling around underneath them.
The small home gym is pushed up against another wall, squeezed between a bright blue drum kit and an old, brown hairdressing mirror. The sun is out, shining through the open garage doors at Elliott Kavanagh's house.
Kavanagh didn't expect to spend much of the last year here. He had plans for this season: to play football for the Western Jets, for Vic Metro, for Essendon Grammar and the Australian Institute of Sport squad. This time last year he was the sort of on-baller every AFL club wanted: quick, and able to keep running. He could zip in and out of packs, beckon the ball to his hands and take it with him. He could see space, scoot into it and put the ball into places where his teammates could easily reach it. He wanted to enjoy the last little bit of life as a teenage footballer, but his body had other plans.
Because of what he had done - and what his left hamstring has barely let him do since - he is the curiosity of this year's draft, the kid that clubs can't be entirely sure what to do with. Can he still do all the things he used to do? Have other players edged past him? Is his leg better now, or will it continue to trouble him?
Kavanagh is intriguing, and he knows it; glancing up during his medical examination at last month's combine, he found 20 doctors and physios peering down at him. ''It was a little bit overwhelming,'' he said. ''It's like they don't really see you, you're just body parts.''
It was late last season that Kavanagh dived at a player to tackle him and felt his hamstring clutch, down near his knee. He looked after it, let it repair and didn't think too much about it. But when it happened again during the pre-season, higher up his leg this time, he started to wonder what was going on.
''The first time I did it I was thinking, 'OK, I'm going to get this right.' And for it to happen again, you don't feel all that sure,'' he said. ''A lot of people started to question it, to wonder what to do. They were all thinking, is his leg strong enough? And when you know they're not sure, it makes you start to question it too.''
His head filled with opinions, advice and plans-of-action, Kavanagh listened to what Michael Makdissi, the AIS doctor, told him. He stopped playing, stopped training and got his head around the thought that he wasn't going to start again for several months.
He spent part of every second evening in his downstairs gym in Williamstown, working his way through a list of small, subtle exercises, starting to slowly strengthen the troublesome tendon.
''A good day was when you would kneel down and have someone hold on to the back of your leg,'' he said. ''You'd lean forward, then try to lean back up again. If you made it, you felt as though it must be getting a bit stronger.''
Kavanagh was patient, because he needed to be. He was patient again when Makdissi told him to take a little longer and not play for the AIS in its three April games, and the same again when he realised he wouldn't be back in time to make the Vic Metro squad. He kept remembering what the doctor had told him - that if he did every little thing right, his leg would do the right thing by him - and it was an interesting time for his parents, to see how he coped.
''He just stuck with it. It takes a bit for Elliott to let his guard down, '' said his father, Tony. ''I remember when Michael rang the week before the AIS game. He said, 'I want you to have the best recovery you possibly can, so let's leave it a bit longer,' and I thought to myself, 'This will be interesting, will he drop the lip?' But all he said was, 'No, that's all right, if that's what I have to do, I'll do it.'
''He's had a lot of challenges thrown at him this year, but he's coped with it pretty well. Someone told us once that if you've had a good 17th year, it doesn't really matter if you get injured because at least you've shown people what you can do. I can remember Elliott wandering around the house saying, 'Thank God I had a 17th year, thank God I had a 17th year …' ''
A different test was to come. When he did get to play again, late in June, Kavanagh started with a half for his school side, then moved back to the Jets and built his game time back up all over again. He played nine or 10 games but missed the TAC Cup finals after corking a thigh, and in only one or two games did he feel like himself again. ''It was a bit of a relief,'' he said, ''when things started working. But it took a while to feel like that.''
Starting back out at school he was jumping too early for marks, asking the full-back to handball to him from kick-ins and being too hard on himself. ''He lost all his game sense and wanted to be in the midfield getting 35 possessions from day one,'' said his dad. ''He forgot how good it was just to be back out on the grass.''
Kavanagh was also conscious of his body, taking a while to trust it again. ''I think I was too cautious at times,'' he said. ''I had to try and stop that, to clear my mind, but there were times I'd half feel my hamstring pull and then realise it was fine, it was nothing. It gives you a bit of a fright and I felt like I got used to that, but it was hard to impact the game like I wanted to.
''I've had a few recruiters say I lost form coming back, but I found it hard to impose myself. I was focusing on what I couldn't do, and it was better when I just started to feel happy to be out there playing again.''
What happens from here? Kavanagh won't slide too far next week - he shouldn't get into the 20s - and he thinks about his hamstring in a scientific way now. He's done everything he was supposed to do, he's played on it, and it shouldn't cause any more problems. That said, he's as curious as anyone to find out how it handles the next step.
''I guess you just have to believe in what you've done for it,'' he said. ''Of course, you question it and you hope, a little bit, and wonder, but I believe in all the work I've done on it. I can't know that it will be all right, but I believe it will be and I expect it to be.''
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/ready-for-redemption-after-injury-setback-20111114-1nflz.html#ixzz1dgz3lx10
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Colt hit Manson hints at exciting future
Emma Quayle
November 16, 2011
(http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/111025/a_040611gencolts11_17abuf2-17abuf5.jpg)
WAYLEN Manson wasn't meant to be the reason people watched Waratah play Wanderers in the Northern Territory league last month.
Brendan Fevola played his first fly-in game for the Tahs that day, with Daniel Motlop the opposition side's drawcard. Fev did his bit, too, kicking eight goals. But he wondered the same thing as everyone else watching: who was the tall, quick kid taking high-flying marks all day?
''It was a little bit scary. I kept getting knees in the back of the head, but he was incredible,'' Fevola said. ''Everything he did was spot on. He was kicking them from absolutely everywhere.''
Manson finished with 10 that day, and they've kept coming: six the next week, then eight. So have the AFL clubs: four or five saw him have his first quiet day last Sunday, and others are heading up this weekend to work out whether they want him, where they're willing to pick him and how late they're willing to leave him.
The 18-year-old has timed his run perfectly - most other draftees stopping playing footy two months ago - and has everything you could want in a pre-draft cult hero: a huge leap, an ability to kick freaky goals, an ability to kick lots of freaky goals, little exposed form and an interesting background. He has also inspired some amusing rumours: that West Coast has been trying to ''hide'' him, encouraging him to go home to his desert community in the Kimberley after kicking eight goals for the Claremont colts side mid-year. That the Eagles were at it again late in the year, telling him to attend the draft combine under the name Zyrus, instead of Waylen. If that's what they've been up to, sending him to Darwin was perhaps not the best idea.
Manson has talent. He's 191 centimetres, and quick. He knows how to take marks and can do things that are hard to categorise, explain or expect. ''He can catch the ball and he knows how to lead,'' said Wayne Blackwell, who coached him at Claremont. ''From standing still to his first few steps he's really, really fast and once he gets the ball, his ability to evade is very good as well. If he gets it delivered OK and has room to run and jump he's going to be hard to match up on. He has some ability, no doubt.''
He also has plenty of work on. He has played two colts games in Perth, one reserves match and a handful of games in Darwin. He doesn't mind chasing, but it doesn't come as naturally as other things, and his kicking needs work. ''If he catches it five or six times you'd want him kicking four goals. He's got a bit of an awkward style and he's like any young kid, his work rate isn't really there yet,'' said Blackwell, who is convinced Manson wants to improve. ''He wants it in his head, I've got no doubt about that. But the attitude, the work rate, that fierce determination to make it, that's what you can only see in training and how hard he works. That's what clubs would be thinking: can he adapt to that?''
It's a big question. Manson is from Billiluna, about 180 kilometres south-east of Halls Creek. Waylen is his second name: he uses it out of respect for a deceased member of his community who was also named Zyrus. It takes several hours to get to Perth via bus and plane, let alone any further, and he has never been away for long.
Claremont was desperate to get him down at the start of the year and he came, but went back home after a few weeks of pre-season. He had another go later, playing three games before heading home again, then arrived in Melbourne for the draft combine last month in a pair of thongs. Handed a pair of runners and some boots he ran and jumped well, but decided after the repeat speed test that he was a bit too sore for the other endurance tests, jumping on a plane to Darwin and kicking 10 goals that weekend.
Everyone who knows Manson loves his cheeky nature. Last week, he told Fevola that he was going to start playing at centre half-forward and let the old man have the goal square. ''Hang on,'' said Fevola. ''Am I the old man?''
He has no't experienced a full-time football environment so the club that drafts him will need to be sure it can support him. ''He really is coming from a long way back,'' said Coffey, ''but I'd love to see him make it.'' Fevola too. ''He was telling me last week how much he wants to get drafted, so he's got the passion for it,'' he said. ''If he goes to a club that can teach him, he could be really exciting.''
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/colt-hit-manson-hints-at-exciting-future-20111115-1nh5x.html#ixzz1dn7as95L
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Tom Sheridan
Club: Calder Cannons, Victoria
Date of birth: 28/10/93
Height: 185cm
Weight: 76kg
Draft range: 18-30
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20P-T/Tom%20Sheridan316b.jpg)
NAB AFL Draft Combine: Sheridan showed off his big tank at the combine with a 15.7 beep test and a 9:57 effort in the 3km run, with both of those results ranking him inside the top 2 per cent. His score of 25 out of 30 in the Nathan Buckley kicking test placed him equal ninth.
Jason Phelan says: Sheridan is a really busy, team-oriented onballer with a healthy competitive streak. He has an elite endurance base and will run and carry on his own or link up with teammates. He's not the most penetrating kick, but he's very effective using his hands to bring teammates into the play. He also has good leadership potential having captained the Cannons for a period this year. Sheridan played 15 games for Calder and was named in the best players 11 times. TAC Cup Team of the Year member.
Kevin Sheahan says: Sheridan represented Vic Metro at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 14 possessions. He has good endurance and can bring others into the game by clever use of the ball. From Riddells Creek FC.
In his own words: I am a hard-working, team-oriented player who uses the ball well and has good decision-making skills. I'm versatile and have an elite endurance base.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/126090/default.aspx
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Cannon still ready to fire - Michael Talia
afl.com.au
16 November 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20P-T/aaamikkyt246b.jpg)
One of the quirks of the NAB AFL Draft is the manner in which some players seem to rise up the draft rankings while others drop away in the weeks before the big day.
Calder Cannons key defender Michael Talia falls into the second category according to some draft watchers, but Cannons' region manager Ian Kyte is having none of that.
He believes any club that needs a key backman and passes on the TAC Team of the Year member and All Australian centre half-back in the first round will regret the decision.
"Michael's ready to step into a tall back position in an AFL team. You take him as he is now and you've got that for 12 years," Kyte says.
"How much more does a person need to be progressed? He's 192cm, runs a 14.7 … beep and a three second sprint. Some clubs were a bit unsure about his kicking, but it has improved a lot. What you see is what you get and you're going to get it for a lot of years.
"I've said to a few recruiting managers, 'stop looking for reasons not to draft them'.
"If there are 10 reasons to draft a player and one not to then why would you take notice of the one thing?
"If he drops down the order a little bit then there are going to be some clubs that will jump all over him."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125751/default.aspx
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They're buzzing about Devon Smith
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
November 18, 2011
(http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2011/11/17/1226198/344772-devon-smith.jpg)
SOME days after games last year, Devon Smith struggled to walk. What he did know was that his hip was sore most weekends and he needed a dip in an ice bath before bed to help his recovery.
What wasn't clear for some time was that the problem causing him serious discomfort was overgrown cartilage.
The onballer toughed out the season - drawing the attention of recruiters - before surgery was called to trim the bone.
While it may have delayed his start to this year, the injury hasn't stopped the Geelong Falcons midfield dynamo from becoming a possible top-10 pick in next week's national draft.
"There were ups and downs, but I couldn't really complain because I really wanted to play national championships this year and I was lucky enough to play that," Smith said.
"I didn't play at my best, but I was pretty happy with what I could have produced (considering) the pre-season (interruption)."
Smith, 18, has been affectionately coined "a bee in a bottle" by AFL talent guru Kevin Sheehan.
He is a fearless clearance machine who averaged 27 possessions a game in the TAC Cup, including 12 contested. What elevates the 175cm midfielder above other prolific ball-winners is his decision making and ball use.
Falcons development coach and welfare officer Damien McMahon said the teen wasn't one to slap the ball on the boot.
His ability to pick the best option by hand or foot, then speed away to lend support, or pose a threat forward, enhanced his stocks.
"He will hold on to the ball until he has the right option," McMahon said.
"He gets very angry with himself if he wastes a possession. If he does, you'll see him sprint 50m to the next contest to make amends."
Smith, from Lara, said his appetite for the hard ball was developed in the backyard.
"I grew up with two older brothers," he said. "We would always fight around, everything was contested, I just hate losing."
Falcons regional manager Michael Turner said attitude, professionalism, and attack on the ball made Smith the best small player to come through the club.
"Was Devon Smith as good as Jimmy Bartel at the same age? Yes he was," Turner said. "I rate him very highly ... small players like him have come back into vogue.
"If he goes to the right club he could probably play AFL footy next year."
In the second game of the national championships, Smith showcased his talents forward, kicking six goals from 27 possessions.
As the Falcons' season fizzled with losses to Oakleigh and Western Jets, Smith battled trying to stem the flow of goals.
"Recruiters look really closely when the side is being beaten and we were getting smashed in the last round this year by 20 goals and he still had the ball 28 times," Turner said.
"I think he had the most tackles for us and got absolutely smashed a few times and just dragged himself up off the ground and got going again."
McMahon said he was a ferocious competitor who had high expectations of his football.
"When he had the hip problem it was tough for Dev because you have all these things running through your mind," McMahon said.
"Could he come back and play football the way he knew he could play, and would he be able to play in the AIS games and for Vic Country?
"But despite all that he showed a lot of mental strength to focus entirely on doing everything right so he could come back and help the team.
"He's very driven and there were a lot of times when he was coming back from the injury that we had to hold him back in his running and things."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/theyre-buzzing-about-devon-smith/story-fnau1fjg-1226198346138
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Will a goanna hunter be AFL's next big thing in the national draft?
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
November 24, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/waylen246.jpg)
WAYLEN Manson is a freakish talent who may struggle to adjust to city life, writes Jay Clark.
WAYLEN Manson was in tears the first night of the draft camp.
The indigenous forward had arrived in Melbourne with little more than the clothes on his back and a dream to play AFL.
But after his first day, being physically tested and questioned by club recruiters at Etihad Stadium, Manson broke down. He wanted to go home.
On the other end of the phone trying to calm the spring-heeled goal kicker was Brett Claudius, footy co-ordinator for Garnduwa in the Kimberley region.
He is the man who has bussed Manson around central Western Australia for two years, with the belief he could be the next Liam Jurrah.
Claudius, listed on some documents as Manson's next of kin, has seen the 193cm jack-in-the-box stand on opponents heads, taking "some of the most amazing marks" he's seen.
Manson is raw, exciting, and, for clubs considering selecting him in tonight's national draft, a dilemma.
"When he runs and marks, he takes the ball at such a height that there's not much you can do to stop it," Claudius said.
"And if there is a pack in front of him, he just jumps over the top.
"Even at ground level in hard positions to mark, he just plucks them diving full length. I've actually never seen anyone mark the way he does."
Manson, 18, was believed to be on the Demons' radar last season. But this year the spearhead's reputation has exploded.
Running and jumping from the goalsquare, Manson's first two games for Claremont in the WAFL Colts this season produced 15 goals.
A streak of four games last month for Waratahs seniors in the Northern Territory Football League yielded 42.
Recruiters, increasing in number with each game, swarmed to watch the teen. In a thin draft like this one, on pure talent Manson is a stand-out.
At home, in his community of Billiluna, nine hours' drive inland from Broome, Manson spends his time playing football with mates, helping "fix fences and things", and hunting.
"There's lots of hunting and fishing," Manson said.
"We go to the creek, split up and look for goanna and all that. Anything you can find.
"I love playing footy. Sometimes I can't be bothered playing and training. Sometimes I want to quit.
"But (for the) love of the game I keep trying."
In the grand final of the Landmark championships in south-west WA mid-year, Manson bagged six goals, then took the match-winning mark in defence on the goal line.
"He was unstoppable," Claudius said.
"He had about five or six different opponents and he kept out-marking them over the top. He was just pointing for the boys to kick the ball up so he could just jump on them.
"On the siren, the opposition had a shot on goal and he went down the back line and took a huge pack mark on the goal line to stop the score, and we actually won by a point."
What clubs, such as the Demons, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Fremantle want to know is whether he can adjust to city life.
The draft camp "rattled" him, according to Claudius. The environment was foreign and in some ways, intimidating.
"As a character, he is quite funny, but put him in front of non-indigenous people, and it's a complete shutdown almost," he said. "That first night of the draft camp, he was very upset.
"Two days later he went straight to Darwin and kicked 11 goals in his first game."
Claudius, though, knows it can work. But only if any club which takes him, tackles his recruitment differently to most draftees.
Claudius has called for a staggered approach, balancing time between Melbourne, Perth, and back home. That way, he could adjust, slowly. Maybe.
"If he was to go to a Melbourne club and relocate next year, immediately, as most draftees do, I would go as far as saying he wouldn't make it," he said.
"He wouldn't get through one year."
But he said a staggered approach might make the difference.
"I do reckon he has that superstar quality about him because in big games, in big moments, that's when he has actually produced his best footy," said Claudius.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/will-a-goanna-hunter-be-afls-next-big-thing-in-the-national-draft/story-e6frf9jf-1226204211599
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Hoops & dreams
Peter Hanlon
November 24, 2011
(http://images.theage.com.au/2011/11/23/2793076/art-svTOMDOWNIE-420x0.jpg)
Ready to go: Benalla teenager Tom Downie has jumped from basketball to football. Photo: Cheryl Browne
NO AFL draft would be complete without a bolter and, befitting a young man who stands 205 centimetres tall, Tom Downie is about to raise the bar.
Basketball Australia's website hails the hooped pursuit as ''Everyone's Game'', and just three months ago it was very much Downie's. A national under-17 representative at the 2010 world championships in Germany, his path from Benalla via Ballarat to a college basketball life in Louisiana, Florida or Colorado was laid out before him.
Tonight, the 18-year-old is a likely second-round pick in a draft light on for ruck talent, possibly bound for the Brisbane Lions. It can safely be termed a speculative selection; Downie's football back catalogue amounts to the last two games of North Ballarat Rebels' TAC Cup season, and school outings for St Patrick's College that took his tally to a dozen games of footy - full stop - since the Benalla under-14s.
''Yeah, there's a big gap,'' Downie says of his CV, relative to the other hopefuls who are about to realise a dream that's been many kicks, marks, handballs and years in the making.
The decision to jump sports wasn't made lightly, even if his recall of what led him to finally bow to the urgings of Rebels' development manager Phil Partington points at least initially to convenience.
''I'd finished all my basketball commitments, and school footy had finished, and I just had a couple of free weekends to myself,'' Downie says of his late-August awakening. ''I said to 'Parto' that I'd come to training and see how I enjoyed it, and it just took off from there.''
The Rebels had been working on him all year, a project aided by head coach David Loader being a St Pat's staffer. ''We try and find athletes who've got elite talent that might be transferred across to football,'' Partington says.
Richmond drafted Matt Dea from the Rebels two years ago after a basketball-dominated teens, and Downie was one of three Australian under-17s in their program this year; Partington admits the footy club isn't exactly flavour of the month with basketball people in Ballarat.
Downie's attributes and application imbued a belief in the Rebels that, if they could just get his toe in the water, he would happily take the plunge. Midway through the school season, Adelaide spoke to him, ''just to make me aware of what could possibly happen with me in footy''. The Lions followed soon after, and still he hadn't played a TAC Cup game.
Finally, he debuted in the last round against Northern Knights, and came up against the standout underage ruckman in the country, likely top-10 pick Billy Longer. He didn't beat him, but did enough to impress. ''That was a good measure, it made me think I can do it,'' Downie says.
He was starting to come around, and last month's draft combine sealed the deal. Being a professional sportsman had long been his dream, and now it was coming into focus that he'd had the right ideal, just the wrong sport.
''It was a couple of weeks before the draft camp I said to myself, 'I'm going to really have a crack at this','' he says. ''That's the kind of person I am really.''
He threw himself into daily ball and gym work and, taking on board recruiters' question marks over his football endurance (over his entire two-game career!), swotted for the legendary beep test on a Benalla basketball court.
''I practised it several times, to maximum exhaustion, just to get myself ready. I had a fair crack at it.''
Growing up in a small town had taught him to be a soloist. ''That's been the story for me, I'm used to trying to get better without other people around me, I guess.''
Come the combine he was glad to have done the work. Partington says clubs were impressed with his work ethic, his willingness to push through pain, and his 14.2 beep test. On the first night Downie said to him, ''This is fantastic!'' The conversion was as good as complete.
Partington says interest in the past fortnight has spiked markedly from recruiters keen to know more about him. That they have seen little is a given; Downie's only appearance on YouTube is dunking a basketball, something he has been doing since he was 14.
All have been learning on the run. His primary school principal mum Gabby and father John, the school's maintenance man, along with little sister Frances, have long been attuned to the process of sending a boy from Benalla to Stetson Uni in Florida, or Nicholls State in Louisiana, but football in Melbourne, Brisbane or Adelaide is a whole new ball game.
''They've had to do a bit of a crash course on Australian rules, how the drafting process works, the draft combine,'' says Partington.
So, quietly, has Downie, who adds that he's prepared for the possibility of missing out, too. Either way, he thinks he'll stick with football.
In the blink of an eye, basketball has moved from the big picture to a release valve in the margins. Yesterday he was on the golf course, but admits he's had the basketball out a few times lately, for therapeutic reasons.
''I haven't completely put it away. I've been out shooting a bit this week, just to think of something different and get away from it all.''
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hoops-amp-dreams-20111123-1nv03.html#ixzz1eXqZ7imm
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Will a goanna hunter be AFL's next big thing in the national draft?
by: Jay Clark
From: Herald Sun
November 24, 2011
(http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/waylen246.jpg)
WAYLEN Manson is a freakish talent who may struggle to adjust to city life, writes Jay Clark.
WAYLEN Manson was in tears the first night of the draft camp.
The indigenous forward had arrived in Melbourne with little more than the clothes on his back and a dream to play AFL.
But after his first day, being physically tested and questioned by club recruiters at Etihad Stadium, Manson broke down. He wanted to go home.
On the other end of the phone trying to calm the spring-heeled goal kicker was Brett Claudius, footy co-ordinator for Garnduwa in the Kimberley region.
He is the man who has bussed Manson around central Western Australia for two years, with the belief he could be the next Liam Jurrah.
Claudius, listed on some documents as Manson's next of kin, has seen the 193cm jack-in-the-box stand on opponents heads, taking "some of the most amazing marks" he's seen.
Manson is raw, exciting, and, for clubs considering selecting him in tonight's national draft, a dilemma.
"When he runs and marks, he takes the ball at such a height that there's not much you can do to stop it," Claudius said.
"And if there is a pack in front of him, he just jumps over the top.
"Even at ground level in hard positions to mark, he just plucks them diving full length. I've actually never seen anyone mark the way he does."
Manson, 18, was believed to be on the Demons' radar last season. But this year the spearhead's reputation has exploded.
Running and jumping from the goalsquare, Manson's first two games for Claremont in the WAFL Colts this season produced 15 goals.
A streak of four games last month for Waratahs seniors in the Northern Territory Football League yielded 42.
Recruiters, increasing in number with each game, swarmed to watch the teen. In a thin draft like this one, on pure talent Manson is a stand-out.
At home, in his community of Billiluna, nine hours' drive inland from Broome, Manson spends his time playing football with mates, helping "fix fences and things", and hunting.
"There's lots of hunting and fishing," Manson said.
"We go to the creek, split up and look for goanna and all that. Anything you can find.
"I love playing footy. Sometimes I can't be bothered playing and training. Sometimes I want to quit.
"But (for the) love of the game I keep trying."
In the grand final of the Landmark championships in south-west WA mid-year, Manson bagged six goals, then took the match-winning mark in defence on the goal line.
"He was unstoppable," Claudius said.
"He had about five or six different opponents and he kept out-marking them over the top. He was just pointing for the boys to kick the ball up so he could just jump on them.
"On the siren, the opposition had a shot on goal and he went down the back line and took a huge pack mark on the goal line to stop the score, and we actually won by a point."
What clubs, such as the Demons, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Fremantle want to know is whether he can adjust to city life.
The draft camp "rattled" him, according to Claudius. The environment was foreign and in some ways, intimidating.
"As a character, he is quite funny, but put him in front of non-indigenous people, and it's a complete shutdown almost," he said. "That first night of the draft camp, he was very upset.
"Two days later he went straight to Darwin and kicked 11 goals in his first game."
Claudius, though, knows it can work. But only if any club which takes him, tackles his recruitment differently to most draftees.
Claudius has called for a staggered approach, balancing time between Melbourne, Perth, and back home. That way, he could adjust, slowly. Maybe.
"If he was to go to a Melbourne club and relocate next year, immediately, as most draftees do, I would go as far as saying he wouldn't make it," he said.
"He wouldn't get through one year."
But he said a staggered approach might make the difference.
"I do reckon he has that superstar quality about him because in big games, in big moments, that's when he has actually produced his best footy," said Claudius.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/will-a-goanna-hunter-be-afls-next-big-thing-in-the-national-draft/story-e6frf9jf-1226204211599
saw this bloike play a couple of weeks ago and he outshone fat fev, kicking 11 goals. The comments about his marking are not an exageration.
the game when pettifer also kicked (along with fat fev) a bag he went MIA though.
there is talk that one club asked him not to play so he would stay under the radar. not sure if this is why he didn't play on the weekend or not.
This article doesn't give hopes of him making it though.